Indian Earth Sciences exporters shipped $9 billion of goods to South Korea in Q1 FY28, a rise of 7.3% on the same period last year and the strongest quarterly print since 2022. Customs data reviewed by IGEN shows the increase was broad-based, with specialty steel accounting for just under a third of the gain.

For smaller exporters, the playbook emerging from the strongest performers is consistent: invest early in certification, lock freight with annual contracts, hedge at least half of currency exposure, and diversify into at least two markets so a single policy change cannot erase a year's margin.

Where the growth is coming from

Tariff structures are shaping the mix of exports. Under the current schedule, finished goods face a duty of 11.5% in South Korea, while intermediate inputs enter at a reduced rate, which has encouraged Indian firms to ship semi-finished lots for final processing near the customer. That shift supports volume but dilutes unit value.

Reliance Industries reported that its South Korea order book has doubled since January and now represents 18.2% of export revenue. The company is adding a second shift at its main plant and has booked additional container allocation on the Kandla-South Korea service through the end of 2029.

Competitors are not standing still. Suppliers in Australia have cut prices aggressively in recent months and are courting the same buyers with long-term agreements. Indian exporters who win on price alone, analysts warn, will find their position tested when currency tailwinds fade.

“Buyers are not leaving a supplier, they are building a portfolio. India is now in that portfolio for the first time in many categories.”

Margins, freight and payment risk

Buyers in South Korea have spent two years reducing reliance on a single source country, and Indian suppliers have been the principal beneficiary. Procurement managers cite shorter lead times out of Kandla, competitive pricing after the rupee's modest depreciation, and a growing base of certified plants as the reasons for switching.

The picture is not uniformly bright. Freight rates on the corridor, though 11.5% below their peak, remain volatile, and several mid-sized exporters say payment cycles have lengthened to 75 days from 55. Trade-finance providers report a pickup in requests for credit insurance and invoice discounting.

Competition and market access

Compliance remains the quiet constraint. Importers in South Korea now require traceability documentation down to the batch level, and exporters without digital record-keeping are finding themselves excluded from tender shortlists. Industry associations say fewer than half of small suppliers currently meet the standard.

Services linked to goods trade are growing in parallel. Testing, certification and logistics companies serving the corridor reported double-digit revenue gains, and at least four Indian firms have opened warehouse or light-assembly facilities in South Korea to sit closer to customers and shorten delivery windows to under ten days.

Outlook for the next four quarters

Government support is arriving in pieces. The commerce ministry has extended interest-equalisation benefits for another year and approved $280 million for market-access initiatives, including buyer-seller meets in South Korea. Exporters say the funds help but are less valuable than faster refunds of duties and taxes, which still take about 40 days.